What looks like mud fever but isn't? Or is it?

Shay

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My cob is prone to mud fever. We've had him 4 years now. He always has a touch here or there and has had one major flare up making him lame (last spring). His legs are clipped out. (As is the rest of him)

We started to use pig oil and sulphur last january on the advice of our vet and have been mud fever free since. He is also on Naf Mud Guard.

About 6 weeks ago - in the snow - I put a pair of thermatex leg wraps on him. We'd let his coat grow in the snow but we were hunting so I had to clip him out. His legs were 100% mud fever free when we clipped. I didn't want him to get cold so I put the leg wraps on that night. He had not used them before.

The next morning I can to put his travel boots on and he would not let me boot up his back legs. But there was nothing visible. I ended up putting his boots on in the trailer (which he was fine about). He hunted without incident. There was nothing visible on his legs.

The next day he was a bit reluctant to step foreward, but not lame. Nothing visible. Gave him a day in anyway. By that evening he had what looked like mud fever up past his hocks and knees. I've never seen it appear so quickly.

None the less treated is as usual. Flamazine. Kept him in. Minimal washing with tea tree oil. Propell for immune support. Just as usual. It cleared as I would expect. Back on restricted turn out (really muddy paddocks!) with pig oil mix. It spread again. Back inside. Back on treatement. We're now in the third cycle of this. I have not put pads or wraps back on him.

The only sign is hair loss. It isn't itchy. There are no scabs, nothing weepy. The skin beneath isn't red or raw - although there are times when he acts as if it is sensitive. There is no swelling. He is happy in himself. Usually I'd expect him to be a bit miserible or grumpy - but his work is absolutely fantastic just now.

So - is this just truculent mud fever or something else?
 
Wonder if the leg wraps made him too warm? Only thing I can think of from what you have said that was different to before. May have irritated his skin. Horses are changing their coats now, wonder if the hair follicles got irritated and set off some sort of reaction. Sorry just racking my brain for ideas. Hope you get it sorted, maybe your vet can shed some light.
 
I wondered that too. Seems a bit bizarre - but it is all that I can think of. I'm waiting on a non emergency call out from the vet which can take a few days so I thought I'd see is anyone here had any bright ideas!
 
Did you put pig oil and sulphur on before you put the leg wraps on ? Maybe wrong, its just a thought, but my horse reacted to the sulphur and with the wraps on it could have caused a reaction.
Alternatively, having just clipped, the skin may have been sensitive and enclosing them in the wraps, perhaps grit or mud got in there ?
Hope you get him sorted, its one of the 'joys' of winter.
 
My new cob had something similar only he had scabs, he didn't like his legs being touched, could not put his knee boots on either. The vet diagnosed mites, he had the injection and they are now loads better. I'm not saying that's the problem with your horse but I thought mine had mud fever too. They could be biting him making him sore.
 
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